boat

Persistent cloud Ubuntu VMs built for agent fleets — SSH, Docker, a 60fps virtual desktop and fast forking from snapshots, billed per second with stopped machines costing nothing.

Paid Automation & Agents
Visit Website ↗ by boat

What is boat?

boat provides persistent cloud Ubuntu VMs built for agent fleets — full dev machines with SSH, Docker, an integrated desktop and browser, and fast forking from snapshots.

You spawn thousands of cloud computers without managing the infrastructure yourself, control agents inside from outside via CLI, API or SDKs, and pay per second only while a VM runs.

Key features

  • Full cloud VMs — run Docker, systemd, databases and cron inside, like a true dev machine
  • Integrated desktop and browser — open web apps, games, 3D scenes and IDEs
  • Run agents inside, from outside — prompt, observe and wrap any harness running in the sandbox via CLI, API or SDKs
  • Get a VM in a second and scale to thousands — run it, stop it, resume it
  • Fork and saved snapshots for fast cloning of machine state
  • Port forwarding, webhooks, API keys, secrets, teams and auto-stop
  • Billed per second, only while running — stopped machines cost nothing
  • VM sizes from 2 vCPU / 4 GB up to 16 vCPU / 32 GB

Pros

  • Stopped machines cost nothing — you pay only while a VM runs, billed per second
  • Real dev machines, not containers — Docker, systemd, databases and cron all work
  • Scales from one VM to thousands with snapshots, teams and auto-stop built in
  • 7-day free trial before the $20/month plan minimum

Cons

  • $20/month plan minimum — the plan equals $20 of VM time, with overage paid from your wallet
  • Largest (xlarge) VM size is available on request only

boat at a glance

PricingPaid
CategoryAutomation & Agents
Platformsweb
Companyboat
Best forTeams running fleets of coding agents that need real dev machines without managing infrastructure
Official websiteboat.dev
sandboxcloud vmagent infrastructuredockerdev machine

How to choose the right Automation & Agents tool

Automation and agent tools promise to do work for you, so judge them on reliability before cleverness. Map the exact workflow you want to automate, then check the tool's integrations cover every app in that chain — one missing connector breaks the whole flow. Look for clear triggers, sensible limits, and logs you can read when something goes wrong, because something eventually will. For agents that act on your behalf, approval controls matter: you should be able to review messages, purchases or changes before they happen, especially at the start. Pricing usually scales with runs or tasks, so estimate your monthly volume honestly. Start with one low-risk workflow, measure the time it truly saves, and expand from there.

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boat FAQs

What is boat?

boat provides persistent cloud Ubuntu VMs built for agent fleets — full dev machines with SSH, Docker, an integrated desktop and browser, and fast forking from snapshots.

What are the main features of boat?

boat offers Full cloud VMs — run Docker, systemd, databases and cron inside, like a true dev machine, Integrated desktop and browser — open web apps, games, 3D scenes and IDEs, Run agents inside, from outside — prompt, observe and wrap any harness running in the sandbox via CLI, API or SDKs, Get a VM in a second and scale to thousands — run it, stop it, resume it, Fork and saved snapshots for fast cloning of machine state, Port forwarding, webhooks, API keys, secrets, teams and auto-stop, Billed per second, only while running — stopped machines cost nothing and VM sizes from 2 vCPU / 4 GB up to 16 vCPU / 32 GB.

How much does boat cost?

boat is a paid product. Prices and plans change over time, so check its official website for the current pricing before you buy.

What are the pros and cons of boat?

Strengths of boat include Stopped machines cost nothing — you pay only while a VM runs, billed per second; Real dev machines, not containers — Docker, systemd, databases and cron all work; Scales from one VM to thousands with snapshots, teams and auto-stop built in. On the downside, $20/month plan minimum — the plan equals $20 of VM time, with overage paid from your wallet; Largest (xlarge) VM size is available on request only.